This third reading passages test contains 24 multiple choice questions on the topic of reading passages of the English language. Both English learners and ESL teachers can use this online exercise as a revision to check the knowledge of reading passages.
Reading Passages - Advanced Level Test 3
Question 1 |
(Please note: The following questions are related to a specific reading passage, which is available solely before the first question. Remember, it may be helpful to refer back to the reading text while answering the questions to ensure accuracy.)
The best-performing oil investment comes from trees in Malaysia, not the deserts of Saudi Arabia, vegetable oils from palm trees are being used in products like Hellmann’s mayonnaise and Snickers chocolate bars. After petroleum prices doubled in the past three years and governments encouraged renewable fuels, the use of palm oil started to grow. Right now, it is the cheapest and most efficient of vegetable oils. Palm oil, however, is not without its detractors. The growing use of palm oil as fuel may threaten virgin rainforests in Southeast Asia and quicken deforestation, raising the likelihood of legal challenges from environmentalists, say some investors. The biggest challenge to palm oil is sustainability. In other words, biodiesel aims to be environmentally friendly. Nonetheless, this would not be the case if the feedstock were only grown at the expense of virgin rainforest.
It is stated in the passage that vegetable oils from palm trees _____.
A | are currently being utilized in marketing articles of some famous companies |
B | are rarely produced in Southeast Asia |
C | are used just for trucks and cars as fuel |
D | cost a lot more in Europa than in Saudi Arabia |
E | don’t perform well when compared with other alternative vegetable oils used at present |
Question 2 |
As it is emphasized in the passage, the reason why the use of palm oil is increasing is that _____.
A | other vegetable oils quicken deforestation |
B | it is the most economical, efficacious and sustainable one of all the vegetable oils |
C | the best performing oil comes from Malaysia |
D | it gives no harm to the virgin forests in Southeast Asia |
E | its price lowered sharply in the past three years |
Question 3 |
One may infer from the passage that ______.
A | Saudi Arabia surpasses Malaysia in producing efficient palm oil |
B | palm oil has no subtractors as to the environmental issues |
C | governments and investors have ignored the legal challenges of some environmentalists |
D | biodiesel is a term much more different from palm oil |
E | no matter how much palm oil seems to be eco-friendly, it may be a strong cause of the end of virgin rainforests |
Question 4 |
One of the world’s best-known waterfalls is Niagara Falls, on the border between Canada and the United States. Tourism was practically invented there. But the astonishing thing about Niagara’s fame is how overrated it is. Niagara is nowhere near the biggest, waterfall in the world. Nor is it even the longest waterfall in the United States. What is it that makes a waterfall the best? It isn’t height. There are many immensely long waterfalls, some cascading thousands of feet such as Strupenfossen in Norway or Mutarazi Falls in Zimbabwe. Of course, when people go to see a waterfall they expect to see a serious amount of water. And Niagara’s one claim to fame is that it is the biggest waterfall in North America in terms of volume.
According to the passage, what makes Niagara the biggest waterfall in North America is that _____.
A | it is the longest waterfall in the region |
B | tourism reflects it as the greatest waterfall |
C | it is the most attractive of all the waterfalls |
D | it has much more capacity of water than any other fall in North America |
E | it has a height non-comparable to any other waterfall |
Question 5 |
As is mentioned in the passage, ______.
A | Niagara is far superior to its counterparts in terms of its width |
B | Niagara adds much to the preservation of wildlife |
C | Niagara Falls is the most spectacular waterfall for most of the people |
D | tourists appreciate Niagara because the landscape is excellent |
E | Niagara’s size is somehow overestimated |
Question 6 |
As concluded in the passage, _____.
A | Niagara is too far to visit because it is on the border |
B | it’s difficult to find any longer waterfalls than Niagara in the world |
C | Mutarazi Falls is thought to be the biggest waterfall in terms of volume |
D | tourism was invented in Northern America |
E | people hope to see a great quantity of water when they go to a waterfall |
Question 7 |
Stress has become a scourge afflicting not only busy executives but also teenagers. What makes it such a common conversation piece these days is the fact that it's not a proper disease but a silent debilitator that takes its toll on the body over years or decades. Chronic Stress, researchers have come to agree; can lead to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, impaired cognitive function and a weakened immune system recent study by British researchers at University College London reported that elevated chronic stress levels at the workplace lead to an increased risk of obesity, insulin intolerance and high cholesterol. Other research has shown a correlation between chronic stress and asthma, allergies, and even the time it takes for wounds to heal.
The passage is mainly concerned with ______.
A | how people can cope with the bad effects of stress on their bodies |
B | the relationship between stress and asthma, allergies and high cholesterol |
C | why people are under the risk of feeling stress in their workplaces |
D | the conflicts about chronic stress among the researchers |
E | the adverse impacts of the chronic stress on human health |
Question 8 |
It is asserted in the passage that what makes stress a common issue being talked about these days _____.
A | is because it has become an irritating affliction for both active managers and teenagers |
B | is that it is a hidden enemy that makes the body worn out without a proper disease |
C | is a question that the researchers have been trying to answer for decades |
D | is because it has evolved over the millennia as the body’s physical and emotional response accelerated |
E | is a popular matter of discussion among the experts |
Question 9 |
It can be inferred from the passage that according to one of the researches, _____.
A | the duration of the recuperation of an injury may change according to the levels of chronic stress |
B | not all kinds of stress are bad |
C | the more stressed you are the quicker you think |
D | the main reason of obesity may be the chronic stress levels in the workplaces |
E | there is only a little correlation between chronic stress and cardiovascular disease |
Question 10 |
Charles Dickens was born on the South coast of England, near Portsmouth, in 1812. He began writing in his early twenties and wrote his first novel, The Pickwick Papers, in 1836. He always saw himself as a crusading novelist. He had great sympathy for the poor and downtrodden and many of his books highlight the injustices to be found in the society of the time. Charles Dickens was perhaps the greatest novelist of the nineteenth century. All his novels are still in print and they present a rich canvas of life and behaviour at all levels of contemporary society, many of his works, such as Oliver Twist, Great Expectations, David Copperfield, A Tale of Two Cities and A Christmas Carol, have been filmed, televised and presented as both straight plays and musicals, revealing the power and timelessness of his writing.
As mentioned in the passage, Charles Dickens _____.
A | emphasized the societal unfairness of the era in most of his books |
B | was undeniably the most eminent novelist of the nineteenth century |
C | was regarded as a crusading writer by his readers |
D | had a little interest in the people leading miserable lives in the society of his time |
E | was the only child of a poor family living in Portsmouth |
Question 11 |
One may conclude from the passage that _____.
A | some of Dickens’novels aren’t present on the shelves of the bookstores today |
B | Great Expectations is the best novel of Charles Dickens |
C | Charles Dickens wrote a lot of short stories and dramas concerning political issues |
D | the fact that most of Dickens' novels have been applied for the screen displays the strength and immortality of his literary works |
E | Dickens’ first novel, The Pickwick Papers, didn't have impact on the literature world as much as Oliver Twist did |
Question 12 |
It is stated in the passage that Charles Dickens’ novels _____.
A | weren’t sold much in the nineteenth century |
B | didn’t help him prevent from being forgotten |
C | exemplify a lot of scenes from the society that can be observed in the people's lifestyles and behaviours in the real-life |
D | are still in print but not easy to buy because of their high prices |
E | were too complex and long to be filmed, televised or presented as plays and musicals |
Question 13 |
A long line of people waiting for check-in: tired, anxious, and not a few of them close to tears. Children separated from their parents. Armed and uniformed guards who make arbitrary-seeming selections. Intrusive body searches. Personal belongings turned carelessly out of bags. A dreary atmosphere of threat and intimidation. An African state close to collapse? Not at all. This is a scene repeated in a hundred first-world cities every hour and an experience guaranteed to anyone who happens to have an airline ticket and is determined to use it. Hard as it may be to believe, air travel was an adventure and a luxury not that long ago. As for airports, they were more like branch-line railway stations than today’s industrial-sized holding and storing centers for human beings. And check-in? Check-in had still to be invented.
In the passage, the setting is ______.
A | an African city |
B | a railway station |
C | a first world country |
D | an airport |
E | a police station |
Question 14 |
As is stated in the passage, check-in procedures of the airports _____.
A | were stricter in the past |
B | are only for the people who have been suspected |
C | may be exhausting for the passengers |
D | are more common in underdeveloped countries |
E | are the most entertaining parts of travelling |
Question 15 |
It may be understood from the passage that _____.
A | air travel is the most adventurous and luxurious experience of all |
B | there was no such thing as check-in at the airports not that long ago |
C | anybody who has an airline ticket is always humiliated in some airports |
D | people never wait in a queue during the check-in process at the airports of first world cities |
E | planes are now much more comfortable than any other means of transportation |
Question 16 |
In Kashmir, it has been one and half a year since the world turned upside down. Buildings crumbled, villages slipped off mountainsides, and lakes formed where rivers once flowed. The 7,6 magnitude earthquake that hammered northern Pakistan and India on, Oct. 8/2005 took some 75,000 lives, injured 130,000 and left nearly 3.5 million people without food, jobs or homes-refugees in their own land. Almost overnight, scores of tent villages bloomed across the region, tended by international aid organizations, military personnel and jihadi groups working furiously to shelter the survivors before the onslaught of winter, mercifully, the season was mild. Fears of a second wave of death and suffering due to the cold proved unfounded. However, in many villages, electrical lines have not been repaired, and neither have roads. Aid workers estimate that it will take years to rebuild what the earthquake took away. And for the thousands of survivors-many of their children, left maimed and bereft by the destruction- the recovery will never be complete.
One may Infer from the passage that the 7,6 magnitude earthquake in Kashmir _____.
A | left exactly 3,5 million people without home |
B | devastated all the lands of the refugees who had settled in Kashmir before |
C | killed strictly 75.000 people |
D | didn't cause as much damage to the northern Pakistan and India as it was exaggerated |
E | has changed the geographical and geological features of the region |
Question 17 |
It is stated in the passage that the weather conditions during the winter in Kashmir _____.
A | were a way merciful but cold took a lot of lives |
B | were mild just as the people had known before |
C | showed that aid organizations were right to fear about |
D | weren’t harsh enough to kill the survivors of the earthquake as worried about |
E | caused a second way of death and suffering after the destructive earthquake |
Question 18 |
According to the passage, for aid workers, reconstruction of what the earthquake knocked down will last for years but _____.
A | the government. can't afford recreating a region |
B | without electrical lines and roads, it is impossible to survive and work |
C | the whole recuperation will never be possible because of the physical and psychological damages of the destructive earthquake on people, especially children |
D | survivors from the earthquake have already started to obtain what they had lost again |
E | electrical wires haven't been repaired yet |
Question 19 |
Modern Formula One is a multibillion-dollar sport that couldn’t function without skilled teamwork and the latest technology. This season, the Orange Arrows team is strengthening its arsenal of technology solutions to streamline collaboration between team members and boost its racing competitiveness. Along with the usual wrenches and screwdrivers, Orange Arrow engineers now utilize handheld wire-free terminals that collect, synchronize and distribute all information relating to any of the thousands of possible vehicle settings. Car and race data are downloaded from the track to Orange Arrows headquarters where they are referenced to performance databases and computer models. This allows design teams to predict what effect a modification might have and to remotely offer advice on how to finetune the live vehicle configurations, and thus improve the chances of victory.
As mentioned in the passage, Formula One today is a kind of sport ______.
A | that gives great pleasure to both the audience and the racers |
B | in which Orange Arrows team is always regarded as the possible favourite winner |
C | which requires proficient and cooperative squad provided with the current equipment including high-tech |
D | including approximate configurations and utilization of public statistics |
E | of which a lot of companies just don't realize the fact that the latest technology and skilled teamwork are the basic components |
Question 20 |
It is stated in the passage that handheld wire-free terminals _____.
A | do not function effectively to download car and race information |
B | are used by the engineers in Orange Arrow to gather, organize and deliver all the data about each of the thousand possible craft settings |
C | have already become outdated |
D | are the only technological buildings required by the design teams to strengthen racing competitiveness |
E | cost a great deal of money to construct |
Question 21 |
As it is mentioned in the passage, Orange Arrow headquarters _____.
A | have actually no use in the racing industry |
B | was intended by an intelligent entrepreneur to profit from the races |
C | are the technological craft in which car and race data downloaded from the track are linked to performance database and computer models |
D | are the vehicle configuration panels on the basis |
E | offers solutions on how to deal with the configuration panels |
Question 22 |
Normally the streets of Oaxaca, a city of some 250,000 people in southern Mexico, are full of tourists. They come to enjoy the nearby Zapotec ruins of Monte Alban and the city’s colonial churches, Indian markets and art galleries. But Oaxaca, designated a world heritage site by the United Nations, is today a much sorrier sight. For the past four months, it has been in the grip of a bitter political conflict that one local politician calls "a low-intensity urban war". The Zocalo, the main square, is permanently occupied by several thousand protestors; more are camped out around the city. They have seized several radio stations and public offices. Many streets are blocked by barricades of parked buses or corrugated iron. Angry graffiti, in red and black spray paint, disfigure many historical buildings. Not only has this conflict driven off the tourists; it also threatens the peaceful nature of the citizens in the country.
It is understood from the passage that Oaxaca ______.
A | is a city in southern Mexico which is visited mostly by Mexican tourists |
B | has been occupied by the enemies permanently |
C | attracts a lot of tourists with its historical and social aspects |
D | is famous for its angry protestors, most of whom are local young people |
E | is one of the poorest but most democratic city in Mexico |
Question 23 |
One may infer from the passage that Oaxaca _____.
A | is under the protection of the United Nations because of its importance in history |
B | is a place where people often fall into political conflict |
C | has a permanent traffic jam in its streets to be solved |
D | is a highly urbanized city in Southern Mexico |
E | presents only historical tastes for the tourists |
Question 24 |
It is stated in the passage, the bitter political conflict in the city _____.
A | can cause the city to be dismissed from the list of world heritage site by the United Nations |
B | discourages the tourists to stay in the city and spoils the peace of the people living in Mexico |
C | may lead many protestors to be arrested |
D | weakens the political power of the government |
E | gives no harm to the transportation and tourism in the city |
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6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 |
21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | End |